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French Expression of the Day: Je baisse, j'éteins, je décale

The Local France
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French Expression of the Day: Je baisse, j'éteins, je décale
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

If you live in France, you're likely to start hearing this expression more and more.

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Why do I need to know je baisse, j'éteins, je décale ?

Because if you will be living in or visiting France during the winter, you will likely see this slogan a lot.

What does it mean?

Je baisse, j'éteins, je décale – roughly pronounced juh behss, jay-tahn, juh day-kal - translates to “I turn down, I turn off, I offset (or I delay).” 

This is the slogan that the French government said they would be using to publicise their energy savings plan, ahead of possible shortages during the winter of 2022. It is intended to encourage écogestes - environmentally friendly individual behaviour. 

READ ALSO Cold water, 19C and speed limits - How the French government plans to save energy this winter

The first part “je baisse” (I turn down or I lower) is intended to remind people to turn down things that consume a lot of energy, such as the heating. It should not be confused with the vulgar phrase je baise - I fuck. As far as we know, the French government has no particular stance on that. 

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The second part “j’étains” (I turn off) refers to devices that can be switched off when not in use - for instance, electronics that can be unplugged when on standby or turning off the lights in rooms you are not using.

And finally, the third part “je décale” (I offset/ I delay/ I shift) refers to adjusting the time of day when one does things. The French government used this phrasing to motivate people to shift the time of day they might do their laundry or dishes, in an effort to encourage that these activities be done outside of peak hours. 

The slogan is part of the French government's publicity campaign known as Chaque geste compte (every action counts), intended to encourage people to lower their energy consumption this winter.

You can see a glimpse of the advertisement below:

Use it like this

Je baisse la température de l'appartement à 19C pour que nous utilisions moins d'énergie. – I turn down the temperature in my apartment to 19C so that we use less energy.

Normalement, je laisse la télé allumée pour m'aider à dormir la nuit. Maintenant que nous essayons d'économiser l'énergie, je l'éteins. – Normally, I leave the TV on at night to help me sleep. Now that we are trying to reduce energy consumption, I turn it off.

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